


The Harvest Dance

by hiya_zelda (hiya_girlie)



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Cuddling, Dancing, F/M, Fluff, Handholding, Light Angst, Some kissing, Tooth Rotting Fluff, its cute, some discussion of obnoxious suitors, they go on a picnic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:41:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,726
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22455907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiya_girlie/pseuds/hiya_zelda
Summary: Zelda comes up to visit Link in Ordon for the village’s annual Harvest Festival.
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 82





	The Harvest Dance

Today was Ordon Village’s Harvest Festival, celebrated once a year at the beginning of fall to thank the gods for a bountiful harvest. It was a day of food, relaxation, and camaraderie, when all of the villagers took the day off of work and spent time together, reflecting on the year and dreaming about the next. The village had been preparing for the festival for weeks and excitement was in the air. 

Link was particularly excited for the arrival of a special guest. He had invited her to the festival on a whim, doubting that with her busy schedule she would be able to attend, but had been pleasantly surprised when she wrote back saying she’d love to come. He’d been counting down the days ever since. 

He was up early that morning, helping with decorations before the rest of the village was awake. Hopefully they’d be finished soon, and once everyone was up and about, he could slip out of the village unnoticed and pick up his guest. 

“Thanks again for your help, Link,” Ilia said as she passed him a wreath. “I really appreciate it.”

He smiled warmly. “It’s no problem, really. Someone’s gotta do it, so it might as well be me.”

She smiled back, then turned to supervise the others. 

In the distance, Link began to hear children running around, undoubtedly awoken by the smells emanating from the far side of the village. He hurried to his house, grabbing the picnic basket by the front door, then made his way to the food stalls, filling his basket before the children had a chance to swipe all the goodies. 

“Hi, Link!” Colin said behind him. “What’s the basket for?”

Link looked over his shoulder at him and grinned, placing one last honey roll in his basket. “A special friend.”

The young boy’s eyes lit up with curiosity. “Who is it?”

“I told you, a special friend.”

He seemed disappointed by the vague answer but thankfully didn’t try to pry, instead scampering off to check out the rest of the festival.

Now would be a good time to get going, Link thought. No one would notice him leave. Taking his now full basket, he slipped back to his house and saddled Epona.

“Let’s go get her,” he said softly, swinging into the saddle and stowing the basket in her saddlebag. Epona neighed her agreement. 

They rode out of the village and across the bridge into the forest. A clear pathway had been made through the trees and he followed it out to Hyrule Field, sighing contentedly as he surveyed the grassy expanse. He didn’t leave the village often enough and this was a sight for sore eyes. 

As he scanned the horizon, he caught sight of a carriage, and smiled to himself. “See that, girl?” He asked Epona, pointing. “That’s her.”

He urged her into a gallop towards the approaching carriage, his heart beating faster with each stride. A whole week, just for them. He kept worrying it was all a dream, but as they neared the carriage, he took a deep breath and calmed his nerves. Today was going to be wonderful. 

The driver of the carriage waved for him to stop and he did so, pausing five meters away and dismounting. 

“Hullo there, Hero,” the driver said, saluting.

Link walked up to the carriage, trying not to appear too eager. “Did you travel safely?” He asked. 

The driver nodded. “Smooth sailing, nothing to worry about.”

Link exhaled slowly. He’d worried that something would go wrong. “Thanks,” he said. “I promise I’ll have her back by the week’s end.”

“No need to worry, Hero,” the driver chuckled. “She’s probably safest with you anyway.”

Link smiled, then turned as the carriage door opened. His guest, none other than Princess Zelda, stepped out gracefully. He was used to seeing her in floor length gowns and ornate jewelry, but today she wore a plain sleeveless, knee length dress with white leggings and high boots, her hair back in its usual braid. She had a small pack slung over her shoulder, and a bow case and quiver. He was relieved that she hadn’t had to use them.

Despite looking like a simple traveler, she still carried herself with the elegance and confidence one would expect of a princess, her head held proudly and her movements sure. 

“Thank you, Roe,” she called, addressing the driver. “You’re free to go now, and your payment will be waiting for you at the castle.”

The driver nodded, saluting once more before urging the horses to a gallop and heading back towards the castle. 

Now that they were alone, the pair embraced tightly, thrilled to be in each other’s company again. Though they frequently exchanged letters, they hadn't been face to face in months, and it was obvious by the loving way they held each other that they had missed each other a great deal. 

“Thank you for inviting me, Link,” Zelda said, pulling back to look at him but not letting go. The smile on her lips and twinkle in her eyes were enough to make his heart resume its racing. “I needed it.”

“I needed it too,” he said, taking her hand. “I missed you, a lot.”

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze. “I missed you too, Link. Quite a lot, actually,” she added, blushing. “I almost couldn’t sleep last night because I was so excited.”

“I’m honored that Her Highness would lose sleep over a simple ranch hand such as I,” he said, kissing her knuckles. 

She laughed, tilting her head slightly. “And I’m honored that the Hero of Hyrule would take time out of his incredibly busy schedule to see me,” she replied, punctuating her words by placing a soft kiss on his cheek. He wanted badly to give her a real kiss, to wrap his arms around her and hold her close, but he could wait until later. 

“The festival doesn’t really start until after three,” he explained, “so I thought we could have a picnic in the forest, then head back.”

“You just don’t want to get swarmed by people wondering who I am, do you?” She teased, her smile widening. 

He chuckled. “You caught me.” He whistled to Epona and she trotted over, gently butting Zelda’s shoulder with her head. 

“Hi, Epona,” she said, rubbing the mare’s nose. “Don’t worry, I missed you too.” Epona snorted.

“Shall we?” Link asked. 

Zelda nodded and climbed onto Epona, and after tying her things to the saddle bag, Link climbed up behind her. He slipped his arms around her to grab the reins and immediately she settled back against him, relaxing completely. It seemed he wasn’t the only one who was enjoying the closeness. 

They rode across the field back to the forest, taking their time. It was about noon when they reached a small glade near the edge of the forest, with a clear stream flowing through. He picked the spot for the abundance of tiny blue flowers dotting the grass, as well as the overall peace and quiet. Since people had been more willing to explore the forest, undisturbed places like this were becoming rarer.

She sighed. “It’s beautiful,” she said reverently.

“The forest is a wonderful place,” he agreed. 

He dismounted, and even though she didn’t need it, he reached up to help her get down, placing his hands on her waist. She braced herself with her hands on his shoulders, and he lifted her down. 

This definitely wasn’t proper, being so close to her. Even touching her without permission was considered scandalous. She was the princess, a position second only to the king, and that title demanded his utmost respect. But every time he tried to bow or call her princess, she insisted he treat her like anyone else, going as far as to say that they were equals. He still didn’t know how he felt about it, but he was grateful that the lack of formality allowed them small moments like this.

“I’ll get the food,” Link said. Zelda nodded, and she moved away to examine the flowers. 

He spread out a blanket and placed the basket in middle, drawing her attention. The food wouldn’t be warm anymore but it still smelled good, and she scooted over to sit beside him, eyeing the basket hungrily. He pulled out a tart and held it out to her. 

“Uli made these,” he said. “The best berry tarts in the village.”

She bit into the tart, blue jelly squirting down her chin. Her usual manners went out the window around him, but he didn’t mind. After all, he wasn’t the most refined person either. 

“It’s delicious!” She said. She finished it quickly, hopefully glancing towards the basket. “Are there more?”

When he nodded, she dug through the basket and pulled out the rest. She ate the rest of the tarts and licked the jelly off her hands, seeming satisfied. 

“I’ll let Uli know that you liked them so much,” he said with a chuckle. “She’ll be pleased.”

“That reminds me,” she said. “I don’t want you calling me Zelda in the village. I’d rather keep my identity a secret.”

“How about I call you Ella?” He suggested. “It sounds close to your name, so you won’t get confused.”

She nodded. “Ella it is.”

“Will the mayor recognize you?” He asked, taking a bite of a honey roll. 

“I’ve never met him in person, so I don’t think he will.”

“Ok, good.”

They lapsed into a comfortable silence as they finished eating. The once full basket was now empty except for a few crumbs, and they were lying back on the blanket, looking up at the clouds overhead. 

“This place really is amazing,” she said. “It reminds me of the castle gardens, only quieter.”

“It’s become much nicer since the monsters got chased out,” he said. “The village kids can now come out here to play without worrying about danger.”

“Thanks in no small part to you.”

Link winced. “No need to remind me, I hear enough of it already.”

“You’re the greatest hero ever!” Zelda said, imitating a child and barely containing her laughter. “When I grow up, I wanna be just like you!” She managed to finish the sentence before erupting in laughter, sitting up and holding her stomach. 

He grinned. “You’d be surprised how many times I’ve heard that,” he said. “They never get tired of saying it.”

“Why would they?” She asked, looking down at him. “You’re larger than life to them.”

He cocked his head. “Not to you?” He asked, playfully nudging her with his elbow. 

She smirked. “You forget, I’ve seen you cry when cats ignore you. That’s kind of hard to come back from.”

“I’ll give you that. I do have a soft spot for cats. And princesses,” he added jokingly.

She rolled her eyes. “You silver tongued flirt. You remind me of a suitor of mine.”

That caught his attention. She hadn’t mentioned any suitors in her letters. “Suitor?” He said, faking hurt feelings. “I thought you loved me.”

“I never said I didn’t.” Her eyes saddened, and she sighed heavily, looking away, and he felt a pang of guilt for bringing it up. “It’s just that some people don’t see you as a good choice for me, despite all you’ve done for Hyrule, so I date other suitors to keep them off my back. They would be furious if they found out I’m spending an entire week with you.”

The bitterness in her voice made him sit up, and he took her hand and squeezed it. “I’m not mad,” he said comfortingly. “Well, not mad at you. It’s ridiculous that they care so much. You’d think they’d realize that forcing people into relationships they don’t want only makes them miserable.”

“They’re too focused on benefiting off of me than supporting me,” she said softly, choking on the words. 

He moved closer, letting her slump against him. He felt like a fool for not realizing it sooner. She was slowly bending under the pressure of greedy politicians, but she had no choice. As princess she had rules to follow, even if they strictly outlawed marriage to a commoner. 

Not that they had ever discussed marriage. Both were too aware of the repercussions of such a blunder to put much hope in it happening. All they could do to be together was write letters and hope for a few chances to see each other here and there. As she mentioned, the nobility weren’t particularly fond of him. To them, he was a backwater farmer first, and a hero chosen of the gods last, and he’d spent enough time at the castle to know he wasn’t welcome. 

“Maybe, I’ll decide that living the easy life of a goat herder is too dull,” Link said, “and I’ll decide that I want to be king. Then I can use the Master Sword and take the throne for myself, and they’ll have no choice but to listen to me.”

Zelda giggled. “You’d be just as good as Zant in their eyes.” 

“It’s always a plan b,” he said. “Doesn’t mean we have to use it.”

She sighed. The stress of this was weighing her down too much. 

He kissed the top of her head, wanting to change the subject. “Let’s not think about this right now. You came to get away from that all, remember?”

“It’s hard not to think about it.”

“I’m not saying ignore it completely, just put it aside. It’s making you sad, and you know I hate seeing you depressed.”

She nodded, but he could tell it would be bothering her for a while. He picked up the empty basket and got to his feet, then pulled her to her feet. 

“How about we go see if the festival’s started?” He suggested. “If we’re lucky there’ll be some games we can play.”

That brought her smile back, thankfully. She swung up onto Epona, who’d been grazing near the stream. He tied the picnic basket to the saddlebag, but before he got on, he picked a flower and tucked it behind her ear. Her smile widened. 

“Thank you,” she murmured, leaning back against him again. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you with it.”

“What’s a hero good for, if not solving people’s problems?”

“Saving-the-world-problems.”

He placed a light kiss on her temple. “But you are my world.”

She didn’t respond, but the tension in her body was starting to dissipate. 

They rode out of the glade and back to the village. Zelda held her breath as they crossed the bridge, screwing her eyes shut. He took her hand and squeezed it to remind her that she was safe with him, and she relaxed when they finished crossing. 

The festival was in full swing when they entered the village, with most of the festivities in the center. They slipped to Links’s house unnoticed, put their things away, then walked to the central area to check out the party. She held onto his arm tightly. 

“Don’t worry,” he said reassuringly, putting an arm around her waist. “I’m not gonna lose you.”

She winced. “I know, I just hate big groups of people.”

“Trust me, you could be stuck with a lot worse.”

Since they had already eaten, Link opted to take her to the games section, where most of the activities were for the children with a few being for the adults. The stall run by the mayor was target practice, where if the winner shot three bull’s eyes with five arrows, they won a prize. 

“Hello there, Link,” Mayor Bo said warmly. “Haven’t seen you around since this morning. And who’s this lovely young lady?” He asked, gesturing to Zelda. 

“This is Ella,” Link said, using her fake name. “She’s an old friend. Ella, this is Mayor Bo.”

Zelda extended her hand out to the mayor. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve heard good things about you from Link.”

Bo chuckled, and surprisingly didn’t push the topic. “Well, good. Anyway, are you here to try your luck in the Archery Minigame?” He asked. “Three perfect shots wins you a grand prize.”

Link nudged Zelda. “Wanna give it a shot, El?” 

Zelda’s skill with a bow was far better than his own. He’d been impressed by how well she’d faired against Ganondorf, shooting calmly from horseback. 

She accepted the bow and quiver of five arrows from Bo, then took her place. Her first shot missed the bull’s eye by a few inches. It was a test shot, he knew, done to gauge the bow’s strength and accuracy and compensate for it with the next shot. Sure enough, she hit three consecutive bull’s eyes after the first shot. 

“Well, now,” Bo said, eyes wide. “That was some fancy shooting, miss. Color me impressed.”

Zelda smiled. “Archery is a hobby of mine,” she said, glowing with satisfaction. 

Bo nodded. “That makes sense. Well, the prize is all yours, Miss Ella.” He held out a small pouch, which held a delicate silver bracelet. He scratched his head. “Usually the young men will come and try and win that prize for the lady they fancy,” he explained. “But you cut out the middleman, I suppose.”

She took the pouch and gave Link a smug look as they walked away. Her earlier depression was fading away. “That was fun,” she said excitedly, putting on the bracelet. She didn’t seem to notice the attention she’d drawn with her shooting. Heads were turned towards them, curious looks on their faces. Link noticed several young men eyeing Zelda and instinctively took her hand. 

“Let’s go see what else there is,” he said, pulling her away from the stall. He definitely did not want anyone glueing their eyes to her and trying to flirt with her, especially not when it had the potential to ruin her day by reminding her of her suitors at the castle. 

They wandered around the festival, stopping to try out different games and revisiting the food court to have freshly baked pastries. As the sun went down, the festival started to lose some of its energy as children were shuffled off to bed and some adults began to retire for the night. 

“Is the festival over?” Zelda asked, looking disappointed. They were sitting on a bench away from the main square, watching people return to their homes. 

“Nope,” he said. “Once all the children are asleep, the Harvest Dance starts, and usually goes until late into the night.”

She tilted her head. “Harvest Dance?”

He nodded, smiling. “I’m sure it isn’t as grand or fancy as anything you have at the castle, but the village musicians come and play music for us, there’s a huge bonfire where they roast meat, and at the end of the dance, they hand out candles that we blow out to make a wish.”

She looked down. “I dunno,” she said nervously. “My feet might not last that long.”

“If you’re worried about looking silly in front of the villagers, don’t,” he teased, nudging her. “The dances are all pretty simple, and half of the people doing them are too drunk to be any good.”

“But I don’t know any of the dances!” She insisted. 

He stood and held out his hand, grinning. “Then I guess I’ll have to teach you.”

She smiled and took his hand. They walked towards the far end of the village, where the dance could be held without disturbing any sleeping people. Already the musicians were playing a light tune, encouraging people to partner up, and the bonfire was blazing, with skewers of meat hanging over top to be cooked. 

“This song is called My Lover In the Forest,” Link explained. “It’s about a woman who falls in love with a lumberjack and searches the forest to find him. When they finally meet, they carve their names into a tall oak and swear that they’ll love each other forever.”

“The dance is simple. When they sing a verse, we move like this.” He put his hands on her waist and began to sway back and forth. “And when they sing the chorus, we dance like this.” He lifted her off the ground and spun her once, then carefully dipped her back. “Pretty easy, right?”

She nodded, looking less intimidated, and they joined the dance after the first verse. Matching the movements of the other couples around them, he lifted her up and spun once, then dipped her back. When the second verse started, they swayed back and forth. 

Link had been to a castle ball before, for Zelda’s twentieth birthday celebration. But the ballroom dances always left him turned around and confused, stepping on his partner’s feet if he wasn’t paying attention. In sharp contrast, the simple dances that went with the folk songs didn’t require much thought and allowed the dancers more freedom. 

And more closeness, he thought with a soft smile. The ballroom dances had a certain level of formality to them which dictated that there should be space between dancers. Here, since most of the couples were married, that didn’t matter as much, and no one paid much attention to what anyone else was doing unless they thought it’d be a good source of gossip. 

However, that meant that the young women of the village watched with envy as Link and Zelda danced. He’d been unofficially dubbed the village’s most eligible bachelor since saving Hyrule and had become the focus of their affection. They hoped that the Harvest Dance would give them a chance to make their move, but seeing another, more attractive girl on his arm had thrown off their plans. The identity of this girl would be the talk of the night. 

The song ended, and though another began, the winded look on Zelda’s face told Link that they should take a break. They found an unoccupied bench and sat down. 

“I’m surprised,” he teased, “that you can dance the whole night in a bulky ball gown but doing one song at a village festival leaves you out of breath.”

She flushed. “We’ve been walking around all day,” she argued. “My feet are killing me.”

“How about we just relax until the last song, dance, then call it a night?” He suggested. 

“I thought you said that the dance lasts until late.”

He shrugged. “If you want to go back to my house, we can, but we’ll miss the wish candles. They’re the best part of the festival.”

She sighed, caving. “Alright, we’ll stay, dance the last song, blow out the candles, then go to your house. But don’t expect me to get up early tomorrow,” she added dryly.

He chuckled, and she leaned against him, her breathing slowly evening. The night breeze had kicked in, toying with the loose ends of her hair. It was nice to just sit back and enjoy each other’s company. Neither had to say anything to feel comfortable. 

Zelda began to doze off. She wasn’t used to this much physical activity like he was. He expected that she might get a few blisters and have sore muscles in the morning, but she wasn’t out of shape so that would be the worst of it. 

The night progressed, the moon rising over the mountains and casting a pale light over the village. The music got louder as people called for more, and the sound of sizzling meat drew hungry dancers to the fire like moths to a flame. Link’s stomach rumbled, but having a sleeping princess on his arm deterred him from getting up to get food. Besides, he thought with a wince, as soon as he left her side he’d get swarmed by the village girls.

Someone banged heavily on a drum, startling Zelda awake. “Relax,” he told her, “that just means it’s time for the last dance.”

She yawned. “Sorry for falling asleep,” she said, not totally awake yet.

He chose not to mention how cute he thought she looked when asleep. He pulled her to her feet and guided her closer to the music. A look of panic spread across her face. 

“I don’t know this dance,” she said anxiously. 

“Don’t worry,” he said, putting his hand on her waist. “Just follow my lead.”

The final song was a village legend put to music. The legend told of the founders of the village, who pleaded with the light spirits to grant them safety from a hoard of monsters. Ordon Village had been created, an oasis hidden among the monster infested forest. The village flourished, and as the monsters were slowly driven out, more people found their way to Ordon. 

Link had heard the song at the previous dances, but when the final verse began to play he felt all eyes on him. The song now spoke of a green clad hero wielding a weapon of the gods, freeing the land from an incredible darkness. He turned bright red as he realized that the verse was about him. 

“This is embarrassing,” he muttered, suddenly itching to hide. 

Zelda giggled. She was taking immense satisfaction in knowing that the hero everyone had their eyes on was hers. 

When the song ended, the crowd burst into cheers, whether for the song or for himself he couldn’t tell. He immediately hurried away as if to head home, but she grabbed his hand. Several people began handing out small candles. 

“Let’s make our wishes, then we can leave,” she said, her smile soothing him. 

He reluctantly let her pull him back towards the crowd. They took their candles and lit them, then walked away from the main crowd. 

“When the drum goes off, blow out the candle, and make a wish,” he instructed. She nodded, and they waited in silence for the drum. 

He still wished they hadn’t added the verse about him. Drawing attention to him like that was nerve wracking. It reminded him that they idolized him, and he didn’t want that. Zelda sensed his embarrassment and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. 

When the drum finally sounded, they looked at each other, took a deep breath, and blew out their candles. His wish was that he could remember this day for the rest of his life.

“What did you wish for?” She asked. 

“If I tell you it won’t come true.”

She grinned. “In that case, my wish was that I’ll find a nice man among my suitors that my court approves of and marry him.”

He chuckled. “Well played.”

She took his hand again and they began to walk to his house. 

“Thanks for inviting me,” she said. “Today was so much fun.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he replied. “It’s nice to get away from the castle every now and then, isn’t it?”

She sighed as they climbed the steps to his front door. Inwardly he smacked himself. Why did he keep bringing that up?

He unlocked the door and let her in. It was her first time being inside his house. On the main floor, he had his bookshelves lining one wall, and he’d pushed his couches together to form a makeshift bed and set out several pillows and blankets. Her bags were lying next to the couch-bed where he’d put them earlier. 

“I’m exhausted, so I think I’m gonna go to bed,” Zelda said, starting to dig through her bag. 

He nodded. “Alright. If you need anything, I’m at the top of this ladder, so feel free to come get me or holler up and I’ll come down.” 

As Link moved to climb the ladder, she touched his arm. He paused, turning to face her, and was surprised when she put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him. 

He was used to giving her cheek or forehead kisses; it was rare that they actually kissed. It almost felt dangerous, like they were getting their hopes up only to have them dashed to pieces. But sometimes it was nice to be reminded that even though their relationship would have to end someday, that day didn’t have to be today. 

“Good night, Link,” she murmured. 

He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and placed a light kiss on her forehead. “Sleep tight, Zelda.”

He let her go to her bed and made his way up the ladder to his. 

**Author's Note:**

> I’m happy with the length, I was gonna make it longer but felt it was better as a one shot. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
